Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

▲ 1 PETER CAPALDIBecause Malcolm Tucker is sheer, unmitigated genius; because he injected undiluted brilliance/ sweary filth into In the Loop and the very latest series of The Thick Of It. Because he directed and featured in Jo Brand's exquisite Getting On. Because CoL cannot get enough of him. Finest bloody actor of his et cetera.

★ 2 STATIC: BARACK OBAMANot for the fan-tabulous oratory or offering the world new hope, but for what he looks like in tight shorts on the beach.

▼ 5 DIZZEE RASCALFor the "Has anyone seen Kate Moss's lipstick?" moment (see YouTube for further info). As well as the ace, unapologetically commercial grime.

▼ 6 GORDON BROWNIt's been a bad year for a good man. CoL would like to reassure Gordo that she still loves him. And probably would. (And PS Her handwriting's terrible, too!)

▲ 7 TAKE THATAnyone who made it to this summer's Circus tour knows what CoL means. You have not lived until you've clapped out Never Forget, live. Or seen Jason Orange's thighs in action.

★ 8 STATIC: BLURAs above, but substitute Song Two for Never Forget, and Damon Albarn's moist-eyed gratitude for Orange's thighs.

★ 9 NEW ENTRY: EMMA MORLEYEarnest, quietly beautiful, endlessly wise heroine of David Nicholls's excellent novel One Day. CoL has a sixth-form girl crush on Morley, and Morley's fictional aspect is no barrier to this.

▲ 10 IAIN MORRIS 'N' DAMON BEESLEYComedy co-writers who turned puerile into an art form for their miracle series The Inbetweeners (E4; Channel 4), and vastly improved CoL's life experience in the process. CoL expresses gratitude via the medium of lust, as you perhaps know by now.